[Chris323]

August 20, 2006
After my flight from Seattle to Dallas, I discovered that my cell phone and digital camera were missing from my luggage once it arrived in Dallas.

I reported this to Alaskan Air employee Vicente. He completed a Lost Article Report and told me to call in two days to check to see if they had found it.

August 22
Spoke with Alaska Air baggage employee Barr.
Mr. Barr told me he hadn’t seen any paperwork on my loss and wasn’t familiar with my claim. He doesn’t know what Vicente may have done with it or if he sent it on. There is nothing showing a record of my claim. He also told me that Alaska Air is not responsible for stolen articles. It says so on the ticket, so there will be no settlement given me. He said that he’s got no proof that I had a camera and a phone in the bag. He suggested I contact the police to file a report there as well.

August 22
Attempted to contact Alaska Air Central Baggage Services several times but received a busy signal each time.

August 22
Sent message to Central Baggage Service via the Alaska Air website. Gave a brief description of my issue. Received an e-mail back from them saying that they are busy and it will be two weeks before they can look at my note to them. It suggests that I call rather than mess with their web site messaging. It also says “for flights less than 5 days ago please contact your final destination station directly.”

August 23
Contacted the DFW Airport police. In order to inconvenience the victim and give the thief more time to elude the law and a chance to get rid of his booty, they would not take a report over the phone. I must come into the station in person.

August 23
Sent e-mail to Seattle Baggage Department asking for their help:
E-Mail to: [email protected]
8/23/06

Hello -

I need your assistance in tracking a thief.

I had two items taken from my luggage while traveling with Alaska Air.

I checked one bag in Seattle on Sunday, August 20 at approximately 10:00 am for Alaska flight 808 bound for Dallas. The flight departed at 11:03 am.

I do not know if the items were taken by an Alaska Air employee or a TSA agent. I do not know if they were taken in Seattle or in Dallas. Although, my bag was in your possession longer in Seattle than in Dallas and Seattle was the originating city so they would have had the time and opportunity for theft in Seattle.

Baggage Claim Ticket Information:
HFFGEJ 20AUG06 SEA58K4 642534

Since this is larceny, I have contacted the police as well to file a report. Although, I have to go to the station in person in order to complete the forms. I'm flying to Atlanta later this week so I'll complete them then. Hopefully, they will be able to assist you in find the perp because we don't know if it was an Alaska Air employee.

Items Taken:
1) Cell Phone. Verizon Slim Phone with camera. Silver. Approximately 3" X 1.5" X .5". With plastic belt clip (black).
2) Digital Camera. Casio Exilum. Silver. Black canvas carrying case with belt clip. Appox 3.5" X 2.5" X .5".

I appreciate any assistance you can provide. I understand that your baggage area is monitored by security cameras. If you are short on time I volunteer my services to go through the surveillance videos for the time my bag was in Seattle.

Regards,
Chris XXXXX

August 23
Called the Seattle baggage department of Alaska Air and spoke to Loralie or Laura Lee. She said I have to call Central Baggage Services since it’s been over 24 hours. I told her that Vicente had told me to call him after two days. She said it didn’t matter, that Central Baggage handles stolen items after 24 hours.

August 23
Attempted to call Central Baggage Services several times but only received a busy signal.

August 23
Called and spoke to Vicente. He asked if I had receipts for the stolen items and how much they totaled. Then he told me if it’s over $500, it’s got to go to Central Baggage Claim. He also said that he hasn’t done anything with my paperwork since he was off yesterday. He hasn’t reported this to CBS yet. He asked me to fax him my receipts and he will talk to his station manager tomorrow to see if they can take care of it here in Dallas or if it needs to go to CBS. He will call me back tomorrow after 2:00. Never called back.

August 24
Faxed receipts, boarding pass, claim ticket and proof that I had to turn off my cell phone.

August 24
Received a response from my e-mail to the Seattle Baggage department. They told me to call someone else. I responded that I had already called someone else who had suggested I contact them.

August 28
Called Seattle police department to report the theft. Spoke with officer Salois, badge number 200. He took the report and gave me reference number 237237. He told me that reports like this come in regularly and he’s not surprised that I’m not getting any assistance from Alaska Air. They have so many thefts from luggage that they try to ignore it. He also suggested I call TSA in case they took it out to inspect and forgot to put it back in the baggage.

August 28
Left a message for Vicente at Dallas Baggage. Called back later and spoke to Mr. Barr again. He still doesn’t know what Vicente may have done with the report he took. He emphasized that Alaska Air wasn’t responsible for their employees stealing items from baggage. I told him that we could at least view the video from the baggage area to see who was rifling through the bags. He said I would have to take that up with Central Baggage.

August 28
Called Seattle Alaska Air baggage department for update. They told me that this is not the right department to call, I must call central baggage. They did find my claim in their file so apparently Vicente finally completed the paperwork and turned it in.

August 28
Sent another e-mail to the Central Baggage Claim and got the same automated response that I had received the first time telling that it will be two weeks before anyone will pay attention to my e-mail.

August 28
Called Central Baggage again. Received a recorded message telling me to contact the local baggage area if within five days. This is what I did, to no avail. The rep that answered asked for a claim number which I have never been given. She said this was logged as an item left on the plane. I corrected her and asked where this will go from here. She said I would be receiving some information in the mail. I asked what this information would tell me or do for me to retrieve my stolen property. She said that she didn’t know. I asked where this will go from here and she told me she would send this to their security office for investigation. I asked how many of these cases were resolved and she didn’t know. She gave me a claim number of SPXETL and said that I would be receiving my information in the mail. I told her I would volunteer to view the security tapes. She informed me that there are no security camera in their baggage departments.

August 28
Attempted to call Seattle TSA but there is no answer or answering machine at their number.

August 29
Called the TSA. According to the announcement, they are currently experiencing a high number of thefts. There were 36 calls in front of mine. Completed the on-line claim form and faxed and mailed it to the appropriate address. Sent an e-mail with claim information.

August 29
Called the local Dallas baggage area to talk to Vicente to ask him how my report got entered as “left on plane” and to ask if he had been able to talk to his boss and do something locally like he said he may be able to do. He wasn’t at work again. I talked to Mr. Barr who reinforced that they can’t do anything and that I might as well accept the loss and move on. He said it’s in the hands of Central Baggage at this point.

August 29
Called Verizon to see if they can track my old phone in the case someone tries to activate it. Also asked if they could print an original receipt for the purchase of that phone. Similar to Alaska Air, they said they can’t do anything in the local store and that I would need to contact their customer service department. I called the customer service number and my phone is now logged as stolen so anyone that tries to activate it will be flagged. However, they won’t do anything about it when someone tries to activate it such as report the person, retain the phone or contact me or the police with the perps name and address. They just won’t activate it for the person trying.

August 30
Since they won’t take a report over the phone, I went to the DFW police department to complete a theft report. I spoke to three individuals who all told me they would get an officer to come take my report. An officer had not shown up after 25 minutes of waiting. I had to go to work so I left without completing the theft report.

[Gromit801]

You evidently have no clue, that Alaska does NOT handle the luggage at DFW? The only people who touch it after the tags are applied and set on the belt, are the TSA's and the contracted ground handlers (not Alaska employees).

Why on earth did you pack an expensive piece of gear in your check through luggage, instead of in your carry on?

THINK PEOPLE!!

It's posted at almost every airline that they are NOT responsible for your electronics. The x-ray scanners that TSA uses on ALL check through luggage going on board the plane can fry the electronics.

Electronic gear of any kind belongs in your carry on.

Oh, BTW? Alaska had no Alaska personnel in place at DFW in August of 2006. They were contract employees.

[Ricklust]

One would think their personal Items would be Safe in their Luggage.

I have seen TV shows that posted hidden Cameras that caught Baggage Handlers Stealing Valueables from passengers Luggage.

Maybe they can review "Their Camera's Films" for any Evidence.

I always carry my Valuables on the Plane with the Assumption that they wil be Stolen if placed in my Luggage.

Good Luck